Russia, guest of honor, cancels on Pitti Uomo

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Jan 4, 2015

Russia will not be able to participate in the next Pitti Uomo as a ”guest of honor." The organizers of the premiere menswear trade show, which is set to take place form January 13 to 16 in Florence, announced the last-minute cancellation in a statement in late December.

The heads of the Russian Fashion Council, who worked on the project with Pitti Uomo in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, reported that "the economic crisis and the worsening of the exchange rate situation in recent weeks make it impossible for Russia to go to Florence.” 

"Well-known currency issues — the collapse of the value of the ruble, which, over the last few days, has plummeted even further — and the economic crisis the country is experiencing have compromised Russia’s ability to participate in this edition of Pitti Uomo,” said the show’s organizer, Pitti Immagine. Immagine and the heads of the Russian Fashion Council are committed, however, to a future collaboration as soon as conditions allow. 

Having dedicated a significant amount of space to Russian fashion at its trade show Super, which was held in Milan in September 2014, Pitti Immagine had initially announced Russia as guest of honor for Pitti Uomo 87 “with a selection of 13 high quality Russian brands (10 women and 3 men)".